The in situ separation and/or removal of soils from liquids, such as aqueous solutions, for example wash waters during and/or after laundering clothes, and/or simply water, such as drinking water, has been challenging for formulators and/or consumers. In the past, certain common soils, such as black todd clay soils, form a colloidal suspension within the liquids, for example water, and may eventually settle when left to stand for an inordinate amount of time, for example a consumer unacceptable amount of time, and/or may redeposit on the clothes or other articles within the liquids.
One known technology for cleaning water is neat polyacrylamide in solid form, not a composite, for example without a particulate material and/or other solid carrier. Accordingly, when the polyacrylamide, which is water-soluble, is added to water in a container, such as a bucket, the polyacrylamide dissolves, flocculates soil within the water, and then settles to the bottom of the water container. One problem with this technology is the fact that the polyacrylamide dissolves in the water, which in some applications, such as laundering clothes, would result in the polyacrylamide adsorbing onto the clothes being laundered and thus resulting in dingy, dirty clothes as a result of soils depositing and/or redepositing, with the aid of the soluble polyacrylamide, onto the clothes.
One problem faced by formulators is how to remove and/or separate soils in situ from a liquid, such as water, in a consumer desirable amount time and keep the soil separate from any articles, such as clothes, present in the liquid.
Accordingly, there is a need a material, such as a soil adsorbing composite and/or a method for in situ separation and/or removal of soils from liquids, such as aqueous solutions, that overcome the negatives set forth above.